Liverpool’s points tally was not just a club record, but the third-highest in Premier League history, behind only Manchester City’s 98 this season and City’s haul of 100 points in romping to the title last year.

Unfortunately for Jurgen Klopp’s men, it will be Pep Guardiola’s champions they have to beat again to end a 30-year wait for a league title next season.

“As long as City are around, with the quality they have, the financial power and all that stuff, it’s not that any other team will pass them easily,” said Klopp, whose side lost only one league game all season, to City in January, and still missed out. Place bet on today’s games on NaijaBet

“You need to be very, very close to perfection to win the Premier League as long as this is the case.”

Sunday’s title triumph was their fourth in the past eight seasons, but City have not always made the most of their new-found wealth, drifting under Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini after previous title triumphs.

Guardiola is the point of difference. The Catalan has now won the league in eight of his 10 seasons as a top-flight coach in three different countries with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City.

Worryingly for the competition, Guardiola insisted City will only get stronger next season.

There will also be a fear on Merseyside that Liverpool have come close before, most notably under Rafael Benitez a decade ago and Brendan Rodgers in 2013/14 and failed to take the next step a season later.

The stars may not align the same way next season. Huge goalkeeping errors from Everton’s Jordan Pickford and Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris kept Liverpool on City’s coattails with late winners.